Remotte, the first remote control for Google Glass, seeking Kickstarter funding

Google Glass may only be on the faces of about 50,000 people or so, but that isn’t stopping one company from starting to make an accessory for Google’s ambitious wearable computer.

Remotte, the first remote control for Google Glass, launched a Kickstarter campaign Wednesday to try to raise $70,000.

According to Remotte LLC, based out of Temecula, Calif., its team developed a device that “significantly improves the user experience on Glass” by allowing private and comfortable use in a “faster, more intuitive” way.

Remotte connects to Glass, or other compatible devices such as your smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, smart TV or computer, via bluetooth. It has a “replica” of the Google Glass touchpad, a second circular touchpad, central and frontal buttons, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, a vibrator and a buzzer.

While the uses are endless and will depend on the developers, just as with Glass, some of the ways Remotte can be used are as a remote trigger for your mobile camera, to make videos of a sunset in “time lapse” or special effects using the “stop motion”, to control your music player or even switch slides during a presentation.

If you pre-order it through the Kickstarter campaign, it will operate with the “Remotte Explorer” software that has three modes: Glass Mode, Photo Mode and MultiMedia Mode. This software may or may not be in the final version.

As a Glass Explorer myself, I see this as an interesting and useful product. One thing that’s annoying about Glass sometimes is to have to reach up to control it, especially if I’m walking through my college campus and it’s cold out. This would allow me to easily control it while keeping my hands in my pockets. Since it’s an open product, the possibilities are also endless.

As of writing this, Remotte raised about $6,500 and has 29 days to go. One-hundred early backers were able to get the “Explorer Edition” for $49, but all those are already gone. There are still hundreds left for $69.

With a retail version of Glass supposedly going to be available early next year, this may not be a bad investment to use with your current devices and since Remotte is expected to ship in March 2014, probably around the time that anyone can purchase their own Glass.